Here's to...
*Late nights and early mornings
*Many discussions about "packing out"
*S...someone talking me out of buying duct tape (and paying the consequences for it later on)
*Carbo-loading the night before a monstrous hike
*Listening to Star Trek (the movie) while driving
*Surviving that one hike that was hotter than blazes
*Still loving Lisa after she outright lied to me about that one hike
that was hotter than blazes
("A few switchbacks and then it's all level," she said. MY.EYE!)
*Watching S...someone eat too much chicken-fried steak
and having to "walk it off" (bwa ha!)
*Expending more calories than I could possibly take in
*Learning new things about people I already know and love
*Sitting next to Keri at dinner that night, laughing till we cried
*Talking Matt out of getting the doggy bag
*Being disappointed at the lack of opportunity to swim in the Narrows
and then being scared to jump in when the opportunity finally came
*How awesome it felt to take off my shoes after hiking the Narrows,
but being grossed out at the looks of my "bloated Jane Doe" feet
*Brooke watching out for me (and everyone else!) by making me stop to eat
*Matt's innate sense of mileage past and yet to come
and all that talk of his hover-shoes
*Watching for made-up signs of flash floods (rising purple, polka-dot water, etc.)
but knowing what the real signs were, just in case
*Wondering aloud if "debris" and "floating heads" qualify as the same thing
*Staying the night in Cedar City instead of driving all night in a freakishly tired stupor,
because SAFETY FIRST is my mantra
*Feeling quite certain I might pass out from hunger
only to realize not much would fit in me
after a day on the river with nothing but trail food
*Handsome Rob returning us all 5 of us home safely
at the expense of all the bodies and baggage and extreme heat
*"We are above average."
*Many discussions about "packing out"
*S...someone talking me out of buying duct tape (and paying the consequences for it later on)
*Carbo-loading the night before a monstrous hike
*Listening to Star Trek (the movie) while driving
*Surviving that one hike that was hotter than blazes
*Still loving Lisa after she outright lied to me about that one hike
that was hotter than blazes
("A few switchbacks and then it's all level," she said. MY.EYE!)
*Watching S...someone eat too much chicken-fried steak
and having to "walk it off" (bwa ha!)
*Expending more calories than I could possibly take in
*Learning new things about people I already know and love
*Sitting next to Keri at dinner that night, laughing till we cried
*Talking Matt out of getting the doggy bag
*Being disappointed at the lack of opportunity to swim in the Narrows
and then being scared to jump in when the opportunity finally came
*How awesome it felt to take off my shoes after hiking the Narrows,
but being grossed out at the looks of my "bloated Jane Doe" feet
*Brooke watching out for me (and everyone else!) by making me stop to eat
*Matt's innate sense of mileage past and yet to come
and all that talk of his hover-shoes
*Watching for made-up signs of flash floods (rising purple, polka-dot water, etc.)
but knowing what the real signs were, just in case
*Wondering aloud if "debris" and "floating heads" qualify as the same thing
*Staying the night in Cedar City instead of driving all night in a freakishly tired stupor,
because SAFETY FIRST is my mantra
*Feeling quite certain I might pass out from hunger
only to realize not much would fit in me
after a day on the river with nothing but trail food
*Handsome Rob returning us all 5 of us home safely
at the expense of all the bodies and baggage and extreme heat
*"We are above average."
We had ourselves a loverly time in Zion...
We (Brooke, Skyler, Keri, Matthew and I) met up with Lisa and crew (Rodge, Aaron, Beth and Brad) and had ourselves a party in Zion NP.
We (Brooke, Skyler, Keri, Matthew and I) met up with Lisa and crew (Rodge, Aaron, Beth and Brad) and had ourselves a party in Zion NP.
Above were some of the highlights.
Below are some of the pictures...
Zion, Zion, lovely Zion...
Walters Wiggles
(which leads to the last 1/2 mile to Angel's Landing)
The last 1/2 mile to Angel's Landing
(Very likely the longest half mile in all of creation!)
Aaron and Lisa
Skyler being all thoughtful looking over God's lovely creation
Going down the 23 switchbacks ("Walter's Wiggles")
felt much better than going up!
Up to Hidden Canyon
(this is the hike that was hotter than blazes)
(like 102 degrees Fahrenheit)
Cool earthen steps...
Skyler and Keri resting in Hidden Canyon
Enjoying the shade in Hidden Canyon
At the trail head to the Narrows...
(Brooke, Keri and I may or may not have gotten cold waiting for the other shuttle)
the Narrows is a water hike, in case you didn't already know...
Keri found cute lil daisies on the hike, apparently...
We were hopeful this was somewhere about halfway through the hike...
but it's hard to gauge miles whilst hiking from bank to bank in the water!
SO LOVELY!!!
Matt's stellar water shoes
("They hover.")
They're called the Narrows for a reason:
(Hello, slot canyon!)
Looking out...
Stopping for lunch...
(Me, Skyler, Matt, Brooke, Keri)
So darn beautiful!!!
So worth the blisters that were a product of this hike...
Loverly waterfalls...
I give you permission to be jealous...
We. Are. So. Accomplished.
(This was taken at the bottom of the Narrows)
(That's 16 miles--but we added 2 miles cause we walked from bank to bank the entire way)
(Then we had to walk another mile to the shuttle)
(On average, it takes 12 hours to hike the Narrows. It took us 9.5)
"We are above average!"
When we got to the shuttle, we saw this sign.
They closed the Narrows at the bottom due to possible flash floods.
We survived 'cause we're cool like that.
And "we are above average," but that's kind of a given...
And because you all care so much, I'll have you know we won our third game in the softball tourney. (I want to say we won comfortably, but I'm not sure that's true. Oh well, you wouldn't know any better so...) "We won comfortably."
Wait...! You already know about game three...(Three extra innings, which was utterly unfortunate for me, because my poor blistered toes were smashed into my cleats for an extra long game!)
Game four...well, we played an extra inning, which tells you it was another nail-biter. And then...we lost. By one point. Bummer though, isn't it?
"Go G.O. Speech Therapy!!!"
(Thanks for the pic, Brooker)
Wait...! You already know about game three...(Three extra innings, which was utterly unfortunate for me, because my poor blistered toes were smashed into my cleats for an extra long game!)
Game four...well, we played an extra inning, which tells you it was another nail-biter. And then...we lost. By one point. Bummer though, isn't it?
"Go G.O. Speech Therapy!!!"
(Thanks for the pic, Brooker)
10 comments:
Lovely and beautiful.
I kind of really love this, even though I didn't get to come on your Narrows adventure. Can I come NEXT year? Will there BE a next year?? PLEASE? What do I have to do to get invited??
Oh, and you're welcome for the picture. I'm loving the green initials in the corner. Thanks for the "M". :D
P.S. I think my favorite part of this is--having hiked with all of you and because I know you all too well, I actually even get the inside jokes. You guys make me smile. :D See?
What a beautiful part of the world! Oh I miss hiking (real hiking, the type where you can't lug a child on your back). The freedom. The connection with the world. The awe-inspiring beauty. *sigh* I will be back, with my pack on my back and only a tent to call home. One day.
I have always wanted to do the Angel's Landing hike!!!! So unfair! I have gotten to do the Narrows hike, but I was with B and his brothers who wanted to run the whole thing and go up both side canyons at the end. That was a little extreme for me. It sounds like you had fun. Sorry about the blisters, at least you didn't have two sprained ankles like me.
I'm glad you had so much fun. Zion is a fun and beautiful place!! I've hiked up Angel's Landing but never the Narrows-- I've gotta do that someday. I remember Walter's Wiggles and the last 1/2 mile of that hike-- crazy! but the view is beautiful.
I told you, there are no points in baseball! It's runs! Now get it right or pay the price!
Zions looks gorgeous. I love your pictures. I would love to go do that, except for the fact that I am a wuss and definitely wouldn't make it (hiking is pretty much one of my LEAST favorite activities). I wish all of those pretty places weren't so much work to get to :) I am planning on going to Havasupi when we have enough money to take a chopper in and out! Glad you had a great time.
I really wanna move to Idaho and go hiking with you! Great idea...yes?
I wish I was in your pictures! I can't wait to do something like that, maybe next year.:)
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